Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-18

ACTIVITY, noise anu CONFUSION Are uesert-
ed, and of the fifteen hundred veterans
and ladies who were the city's hosts Wed
nesday and Thursday, only fifty remain,
the majority having left by the late trains
last night and the early trains this morn>
ing
THE GRAND ARMY
THE WIND UP.
The ARGUS last evening contained the
proceedings of yesterday afternoons SEES,
sion of the Grand Army up TO the time of
the election of officers. But synopsis,
however was given Of the resolutions
expressive of the departments sentiment
on the presidents veto of the dependent
pension bill.
THE RESOLUTIONS
are given here in full:
Resolred, That this encampment, di-
reetly representing $4,000 veteran sol>
diers of Illinois. demand that Congress
pass the so-called disability pension bill,
the veto of the president notwithstand-
ing, as an act vital to the interests and
honor to the country in this and coming
generations.
Res0'Ued. That after careful consider
alton of the Presidents veto message we
pronounce it unsound in all its argus
ments and differences.
l. Because it endeavors to institute a
comparison between wars which were
comparatively mere skirmishes, and the
blOodiest struggle the world has ever
known. We will only instance the Mex
lean war, where the killed were five or
six hundred and the wounded ten or
twelve hundred. In the war of the re-
bellion the killed and wounded were
numbered by the hundreds of th0us>
ands
2 Because it strains and warps the
rules of construction to show that the
act might include many who ought not
TO be pensioned, when the construction
thereof lies entirely with the administra-
ton. and fairly made includes only those
totally disabled.
3. Because lis reasoning against the
granting of pensions. that unworthy
men may receive the benefit of them, app
plies rather to the general policy of pen>
slons and rewards for service, than to
this particular bill. and it is an argus
ment which if carried to its conclusion
would destroy every sentiment of pa
triotism and public generosity.
4. Because it assumes that the Union
soldiers Of the war of the rebellion have
already been pensioned higher than those
of any other war in the worlds history.
We need not go outside of this message
to show the error in this assumption. By
ii we find that One>third of the soldiers
of the war of the revolution or theirrep-
Iesentstives have been pensioned, and
one-fourth of those of the war of 1912.
By taking the figures in the American
Cyclop81ia, that the enlistments for the
Mexican war were 70. 260 and not 49,
$50 as this message states, and that the
pensions to the survivors alone up to
1874 were / ,30S, and that the message
Is in error giving the number of all pens
sions up to June 80, 1885, at 1913. We
find by a fair calculation that nearly, if
not quite one-fourth have been pensioned.
The proportion of pensions for the civil
war is about one-tifth. The chances for
injuries in the civil war were one hun
dred to one of those in other wars re
ferred to.
5. Because we consider it very cold
comfort for the poor, dependent veterans
in one of our country poor houses, to be
told that cplIiorp' bnrnEc hava boon
vided for few thousand out of two mil
lion. and that laws have been passed
giving preference to those who served
the country, when those homes and those
laws do not help him.
Among the other resolutions adopted,
but not mentioned was one expressing
wish that the remains of GeI. john A.
Logan rest on Illinois soil and ordering a
committee Of ten comrades whose duty II
shall be, if such disposition of the re
mains be determined upon by bis family,
10 perform such services in connection
with the final ceremonies as may be de-
sired, and naming Memorial Day 1887, as
the time; one indorsiug and encouraging
the formation of local camps of Sons OF
Veterans; one recitIng that the action Of
the National Encampment, G. A. R., has
been adversed to the recommendation of
a universal service pension and directing
vote on the subject BY the different
post, that their true sentiments may be
ascertained. and providing for reports
showing the Vote OF each individual mem
Der present; one thanking the depart,
ment officers, the posts Of Rock Island
and Moline, and Officer of the Day E. H
Buck, and Others for courtesieS.
Chicago, Peoria. Galesburg, Blooming
ton and Springfield were all mentioned as
the next place of meeting, and Spring
field was finally successful in securing
the department encampment in 1888.
THE NEW OFFICERS.
The annual election of officers came up
and the vote On department commander
resulted in 252 ballots for Maj. A c.
Sweetser, of Bloomington and $40 for
Gen. T. C. Fullerton, of Ottowa The
general result was as follows:
Department Commander-A G Sweet
ser Bloomington.
Senior Vice .Commander-W. L. Dis
tin, Quincy.
Junior Observation-Disclosures
Avery, Woodstock.
plain-Rev, Lewis Curtis, Sycamore.
Medical Director-Dr. Joseph Mckee,
Rock Island
Council of Administration-E. D.
Steen, Danville; c. r. E. Koch, Chicago;
E R. Roberts, Springfield; J. F. Hurral,
Aurora.
Delegate at Large-Jno NJ Hamilton,
Post %, Chicago.